University of Wisconsin President Ray Cross on Tuesday asked the Legislature's budget-writing committee to approve a new public authority for the UW System, a "dedicated and stable funding stream" and to reduce the governor's proposed $300 million budget cut over the next two years.

Shortly after he finished his testimony, a handful of protesters burst into the room shouting, "No cuts, no deals." Followed by four Capitol police officers, the protesters marched past the table where Cross was sitting to give testimony before the Joint Committee on Finance.

If Park Bank is liable for not spotting Sujata "Sue" Sachdeva's $34 million embezzlement from Koss Corp. and has to reimburse the company, Koss Chief Executive Michael Koss should also be ordered to personally pay the public company he runs, the bank argues in a new lawsuit.

Grant Thornton, Koss Corp.'s former auditor, should also have to pay a portion of any award that may be ordered, Park Bank argued in the latest twist in a long-running court fight stemming from Sachdeva's massive embezzlement.

"Park Bank denies any and all liability to Koss in this case," the bank said in its action. "Nevertheless, should Park Bank be found liable to Koss (Corp.) and required to pay damages to Koss, in this case, those damages will have been the result of a common liability of Park Bank, Michael Koss and Grant Thornton, thereby entitling Park Bank to (a) contribution from Michael Koss and Grant Thornton."(3)

International exam shows American 15-year-olds lag in math

Fifteen-year-old students in the United States perform below average in math and average in reading and science compared with 15-year-olds in developed countries, according to the results of a respected international exam released Tuesday.

The 2012 results from the Program for International Student Assessment, a test of math, reading and science literacy given every three years to a sample of public and private high school students in about 65 countries, is likely to result in coast-to-coast chatter Tuesday about American student achievement – and what is and isn’t likely to improve it.

The exam results show the U.S. has a below-average share of top-performing students in math, and that about one in four American 15-year-olds are not reaching a basic level of math proficiency needed to be productive in life.

The scores of American 15-year-olds on all of the subjects assessed have not changed over 10 years, despite major education reforms and data-driven initiatives such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top.

That invited critiques from many public-school advocates ahead of the official release of results Tuesday.

"While the intentions may have been good, a decade of top-down, test-based schooling created by No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top — focused on hyper-testing students, sanctioning teachers and closing schools — has failed to improve the quality of American public education,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten in a statement.

But the results may result in a resurgence of support for the embattled Common Core State Standards, a nationwide set of academic standards adopted by most states in reading and math. The latest PISA anaylsis suggests that implementing those standards could help raise math scores, because the standards focus on emphasizing more critical thinking in K-12 American schooling.

Of the 64 countries and economies that participated in the latest round of testing, 40 improved their average performance in at least one subject, according to PISA. A total of 13 countries significantly improved their mathematics performance between 2003 and 2012.

Some highlights: big gains in Shanghai, China, and major improvements from countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Tunisia, and Turkey, according to PISA. Germany had noted improvements as well.

“Our scores are stagnant,” said Jack Buckley, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which coordinates testing in the U.S. “Our ranking is slipping because these other countries and systems are not just out-performing us, but improving."

In addition to the countries tested, three states – Massachusetts, Connecticut and Florida – volunteered to have samples of students from their states take the assessments. The testing cost each state about $600,000, Buckley said.

The analysis from PISA suggests that the average Shanghai student is performing at a level in math that’s about two years ahead of the average student in Massachusetts, which is considered a strong-performing U.S. state.

About Erin Richards

Erin Richards covers K-12 education in urban and suburban Milwaukee, as well as state politics related to education issues.